Who can find a virtuous woman? Proverbs 31:10-31
This study is a bit different…so it is somewhat of a work in progress…but please think about what Proverbs 31:10 might mean from a spiritual perspective… “Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.” (and beyond it through to the end of the chapter). Feel free to offer comments. Look carefully at the key words throughout the text to the end of Proverbs and think about what they mean when viewed in the context of the whole Bible.
Here is one hint that should be at least considered to understand these verses correctly…The virtuous woman (from the spiritual perspective) is the eternal Church, the Bride of Christ, as God views her, and the husband (from the spiritual perspective) is the Lord Jesus Christ. When we search out where all the descriptive words are found everywhere else in the Bible, this exegesis will be more clearly borne out.
10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
14 She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
17 She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.
19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
24 She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
25 Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
29 Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.
Please bear in mind that there are only two other verses in the whole Bible that use the phrase “virtuous woman.”
Bereansearching's Blog 
January 24, 2017 at 6:14 pm
Despite shying away a little bit due to the feminine pronoun and the likelihood of being misunderstood, I think the whole chapter is a picture of Christ.
I’ve tested interpreting it as a picture of the bride of Christ, but it is so rich with relationships to parables by Jesus in the NT that I favor overcoming the difficulties of the feminine pronoun and developing the chapter as a picture of Christ.
In a few places it is on the surface instructive of commendable conduct of a godly woman.
January 24, 2017 at 7:25 pm
Thank you for that comment. There are indeed commendable conduct instructions on the earthly level for female gender humans but on the spiritual level, I am more inclined to see this as a parable describing the attributes of the Bride of Christ with the qualities of Jesus imputed to her. The bride, adorned for her husband, is viewed as a virgin, virtuous woman who we know represents the believers clothed in the robes of Christ’s righteousness. This virtuous woman is more likely the church as God sees it through the redepmptive work of Jesus and the anointing by the Holy Spirit. So the fact that you see parallels with Jesus are of course quite true. But Jesus paid the price… Who’s payment was indeed far above rubies.